St Greogory’s Founder Faces Contempt Threat

CUMBERLAND COURIER NEWSPAPERS, AUSTRALIA
by Alex Cauchi

Jan 26 2011

St Greogory’s founder faces contempt threat

THE founder of St Gregory’s Armenian School could be jailed as he
refuses to sign over the school’s mortgage to its new owners.

Michael Ghougassian has been ordered by the Supreme Court to sign
a discharge of the mortgage that would allow the school’s creditor,
Commonwealth Bank, to complete the sale to the Australian Federation
of Islamic Councils.

Having failed to sign the documents by last Wednesday’s deadline,
he could be arrested for contempt of court.

Mr Ghougassian believes he was given insufficient time to organise
legal representation to fight the order and given inadequate notice
when the liquidator gave the Commonwealth Bank a writ of possession
for the school.

The school was liquidated by the Supreme Court late last year.

“On Tuesday, January 18, I was given until Wednesday, January 19,
to sign the discharge of the mortgage,” he said.

“I have been informed by counsel that because I am not signing the
discharge, I will be fined, I will go to jail, I will never be allowed
to bring a case to the court.”

Mr Ghougassian invoked the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who died
in massacres in the early 20th Century in his decision to not sign
the release.

“I owe it to all the souls who died for my survival and the Christian
faith being upheld, not to sign the discharge of mortgage,” he said.

From: A. Papazian